Screw Grabber

The inventor of a gadget designed to hold non-magnetic screws on the end of a screwdriver has launched a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to fund production of the “Screw Grabber.” Phillip Kauffman, 29, of Los Angeles, must raise $18,000 in pledges by March 22, 2014.

Los Angeles, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/20/2014 -- “Everyone who has ever picked up a screwdriver can relate to the frustration of dropping a non-magnetic screw,” says the inventor of the Screw Grabber, a new tool that securely holds brass, stainless steel, aluminum, and other non-magnetic screws on the end of a screwdriver. Phillip Kauffman, 29, is counting on that universal DIY complaint to fuel his $18,000 Kickstarter campaign, launching February 20, 2014 on the crowd-funding site. “The Kickstarter funds will pay for the engineering and machining of our molds, and for the first production run,” says Kauffman.

Available in two sizes, the patent-pending Screw Grabber is a transparent, rubbery, inch-long sleeve that fits on the shank of a screwdriver, holding the screw head to the end of the driver without tape or other adhesives. One end of the Screw Grabber is split into three “petals” with horizontal ribs that grip screw heads from 5/32” to 7/16” (4 mm to 12 mm) in diameter. The other end of the Screw Grabber features internal tapered ribs that allow it to grip screwdriver shanks ranging from 3/32” to 1/4” in diameter.

Supporters can pledge any amount from one dollar to $1000.00 on Kickstarter. Anyone pledging at least $7.00 will receive an assortment of Screw Grabbers if the project is successful. A $1,000 pledge will get the supporter an assortment of Screw Grabbers plus a home-cooked meal in Kauffman's Los Angeles home, if the project is fully funded by March 22nd.“Kickstarter is all or nothing,” Kauffman explains. “If the campaign doesn’t meet its goal, backers’ pledges are refunded.” The Screw Grabber will be made in the U.S.A. using recycled materials. Kauffman is already in talks to put the Screw Grabber in major hardware stores.

The Screw Grabber can handle both flat and rounded screw heads, including countersunk screws, button heads, pan heads, and mushroom head screws. It works with Phillips, slot, Torx, and Hex drives, and “it also works on flanged head screws such as sheet metal screws,” says Kauffman.

“When you’re working with brass or stainless steel screws, it’s almost impossible to keep them on the end of your screwdriver long enough to get the screws seated, especially in tight spaces," says Kauffman, who has years of experience dropping screws working in a custom cabinet shop and doing maintenance on cars. Kauffman was assembling an air purifier in smoggy Los Angeles when he had the “Eureka” moment that led to the creation of the screwdriver accessory. “There was only one way to put that purifier together properly, but it would require me to literally balance a screw on the end of my driver. I knew there had to be a better way.”

“I will never drop a screw again,” declares Kauffman. “The Screw Grabber just stays on your screwdriver, out of the way until you need it. It’s so affordable that you can keep one on every screwdriver in your toolbox,” he says.